UKPNP leader calls for independent investigation into Pakistan's human rights violations
Mar 15, 2024
Geneva [Switzerland], March 15 : The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) staged a protest outside the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) headquarters in Geneva during the 55th session.
The demonstration aimed to spotlight Pakistan's alleged atrocities against the people of Sindh.
Jamil Maqsood, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs for UKPNP, addressed the gathered crowd, shedding light on the challenges faced by the Sindhi community in Pakistan.
According to Maqsood, "The people in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) have endured military oppression since the inception of the country. The Pakistani administration has systematically targeted intellectuals, leaders, student activists, journalists, and civil society members advocating for basic human rights and freedoms. The extrajudicial killing of Hidayat Lohar is a tragic testament to their brutality. His daughters' courage in the face of such violence underscores the urgent need for accountability."
Speaking on the appropriation of land and resources by Pakistan's administration, Maqsood declared, "We will not stand idly by as the Pakistani military encroaches upon our villages, lands, and forests. They have already seized control of our rivers, forests, minerals, natural resources, and our very livelihoods."
He emphasised the necessity for an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the atrocities perpetrated by the Pakistani army and its clandestine agencies over the years. Maqsood highlighted the systemic marginalization of people in Sindhudesh, Balochistan, Pashtunistan, and other regions across social, political, economic, and democratic spheres.
Maqsood also accused Pakistan of engineering man-made disasters in Sindh and Balochistan for political gain. He dismissed the recent flood in Gwadar as not a result of climate change but rather a consequence of flawed developmental projects orchestrated by the Pakistani military. Maqsood asserted, "The Pakistani Army exploits these disasters to extort funds from the international community, weaponizing climate change as a propaganda tool."
The protest served as a poignant call for international scrutiny of Pakistan's human rights violations and the urgent need for justice for its oppressed minorities.
